JAMESTOWN – The final list of programs that will benefit from the Empire State Poverty Reduction Initiative (ESPRI) have been announced.
In 2016 the state said the city of Jamestown would be the recipient of nearly $1 million in aid to help fight poverty, with the United Way of Southern Chautauqua County serving as local organization to identify and recommend programs to the state.
On Tuesday the governor’s office announced the final list of recipients.
The seven programs approved for funding in Jamestown are:
- The Resource Center, $194,000 — The funding will be used to help low-income workers and 20 local employers, with the goal of improving employee retention, helping individuals transition out of poverty.
- YWCA of Jamestown, $150,000 — The Parents as Teachers PLUS program expands an existing program for teenage mothers to include those who have dropped out of high school, helping them with parenting skills and identifying a pathway to financial stability.
- Jamestown Community College, $140,000 — The funding will be used to provide educational and supportive services for low-income, single parents to help them obtain skills and credentials that lead to employment in higher-wage jobs.
- Mental Health Association in Chautauqua County, $126,000 — A support network will be established to help supplement human resources functions for designated employers with job openings, with the aim of improving employee retention.
- Community Helping Hands, $92,000 — The organization will hire low-income individuals, helping them gain work experience while building soft skills, emotional intelligence and self-awareness.
- Jamestown Public Schools, $90,000 — To help address chronic absenteeism that often prevents on-time graduation from high school, this funding will support work-based learning to help students who struggle to succeed in a traditional classroom environment.
- Chautauqua Adult Day Services, $45,000 —provide 12 weeks of soft-skills training to bilingual job candidates.
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